Pownal's town government and volunteer fire department are gearing up for a March Town Meeting vote on a new Pownal Center firehouse, a project meant to replace the aging, undersized station at the corner of Route 7 and North Pownal Road. The plan already has $938,000 in federal money and more than $300,000 raised locally, but officials say that combined total still won't cover the full cost of construction.
The project traces back to May, when U.S. Rep. Becca Balint directed the USDA grant toward the firehouse as part of a larger package. According to the Office of Sen. Peter Welch, Vermont's congressional delegation announced more than $100 million in federal Congressionally Directed Spending across 69 projects statewide in February, with Pownal's firehouse among them. The award is a USDA grant.
The Pownal Fire Department raised more than $300,000 to cover its required local match, as reported by the Bennington Banner. But Pownal Executive Assistant Tara Parks told the paper the department has its match in hand even though the project will likely exceed its projected $1.25 million total. Parks said future funding would need to cover that overage, and she identified private loans or a municipal bond as the two realistic options.
Why a Bond Is Off the Table
Parks said Pownal voters are unlikely to support a bond anytime soon, according to the Bennington Banner's report, which is why the fire department aims to borrow privately instead of asking the town or voters for more money. That caution tracks with the town's demographics: Pownal has about 3,258 residents, a median age of 45.1, and a median household income of $63,723, per data from the Bennington County Regional Commission.
The planned March vote puts pressure on town and fire officials to settle a financing plan before residents cast ballots.
Regional Commission Steps In to Help
The Pownal Select Board is set to get an update on the project from regional planner Nick Zaiac of the Bennington County Regional Commission at its next meeting Thursday at 6 p.m., the Banner reported. Zaiac said he discussed technical assistance with Parks at an October 8 board meeting, and the commission has proposed splitting its technical assistance contract into segments. Zaiac estimated that the first segment — covering the period from signing through the immediate aftermath of Town Meeting — would account for 10 to 20 percent of his overall technical-assistance project cost.
The Bennington County Regional Commission will help the town and fire department sort through financing decisions not covered by the federal grant and local match, according to the Banner's account. Zaiac said grant spending carries a very complicated administrative burden, and colleagues Jonathan Cooper and Samantha Page will also be involved in administering the federal money once it's approved. The commission will manage spending of the congressionally directed grant after Town Meeting, provide document review on contracts and agreements, and coordinate with the fire department along the way.
Clearing the Site Before Construction
Pownal has an environmental assessment of the firehouse site underway, Parks said, conducted under Vermont's Brownfields Reuse and Environmental Liability Limitation Act program. The BRELLA program, which the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation oversees, can shield an owner or developer from liability for pollution-related issues that arise during or after a project once the state approves a corrective action plan and issues a Certificate of Completion. The assessment examines the property for hazardous materials or residues, and any corrective action plan prepared under the department's guidelines would need to address those issues before or during redevelopment.
The current firehouse is undersized, and the project calls for demolishing that building entirely and replacing it. Pownal is working with Centerline Architects & Planners of Bennington on the design.
Zaiac said the regional commission wants to support the town and see the project succeed as it works through the financing details ahead of March.
